Living In A Wonderful Nightmare
by Katlyn Caffe
Summary: When Andrew de L'enfant moves to New Orleans with his sister, the truth about his family, and a new romance between a famous vampire will unfold. First published story, maleXmale, humor, no offense to the author of these vampires.
1. Prologue

So, Hi. This is my first story published on fanfiction. It's just something that's been floating around in my head for the past couple years. And I'd just like to say right now…this has nothing to do with Twilight…barf…it's getting so annoying. And this really doesn't have anything to do with Ms. Anne Rice, I just mention her and how some of this is based upon the vampires she rights about. But no, this story won't have Lestat or Tarquin…ugh but I wish it did. Anywayz, reviews of any kind are welcomed, but I don't like it when people flame…not cool. So I hope you enjoy this story.

Yers, Kate Caffe.

Any mention of Anne Rice's characters and works are property of her. I'm just using them as reference. The rest of the characters are mine.

Warning=male/male, you've been warned!!! _

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I woke up that warm summer morning with a strange sense of anticipation. This would be expected of course, seeing as it was my first day at a real school. My name is Andrew de L'enfant, and I have been home schooled most of my life. I will be entering my senior year of high school. My mother was the one to home-school me, her name was Dominique Ashford. She was a wonderful teacher, and an even better mother. However, my mom's been missing since her last archaeological dig in India. No one has heard from her in the past six months. That's why I'm starting in an actual school today. If my dad hadn't walked out on us when I was three then I wouldn't have had to move to New Orleans with my Aunt and Uncle. And let me tell you, the drive from northern Mississippi all the way to New Orleans isn't that wonderful. Especially if you're going with your five year old adopted sister who doesn't understand that _mom is gone_. But I digress, back to that toasty morning.

As I quickly washed my dark brown hair, I soon realized that I would be the "new kid". My asthma seemed to act up just at the mere thought of the looks I would get. My Mississippi accent surely would be noticed. To make maters even worse, my old town had been involved in a basketball tournament with the school I would be attending today. I'm pretty sure some of the jocks had seen me sitting on the side lines reading one of my many books. For some reason they had decided to rough me up after my town won the championship. I really could have taken the two of them, seeing as I'm quite muscular and know several martial arts. Haha although, I've always been week, what with my asthma and poor eye-sight. But I knew that they were juniors, which made today seem like a walk through hell. Because that meant that I would now be in their graduating class. By the end of this week none of this would matter. I would be far more worried about escaping a house, rather than a school.

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Well there it is folks, the prologue to my story. More wil be explained in chapter 1 so please read. RR too. KTHXBYE


	2. First DAY

Hi Guys, I had to edit and re-upload most of this story. Although I doubt that anyone reads this T_T I simply write because I love this story. I have already finished this now it's just a matter of editing and uploading everything. to those that by chance do read this story, I might end up doing a sequal and if you get to chapters 13 and 14 you might know why. So here is the edited version of chapter one. There should be more to come as soon as I get my final paper done and the rest of the school year wraps up.

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My Aunt drove me to school that morning, talking excitedly about how much I'd grown and how amazing this experience would be for me. I was still kind of pissed that she hadn't dared speak of her sister-in-laws disappearance. How could I possibly enjoy something so new without my mother there to guide me?

The drive to school took about fifteen minutes. The house I was now staying in was located on a small plantation that was used mainly for cotton. The house wasn't anything lavish but it was still a good size house. My room was located on the third floor in the back. It had a full bathroom and a walk in closet, although I had no idea what I would use all that space for. Sure I had lots of clothes, but I didn't have nearly enough to fight the ten-foot long space. Priti's room was right next to mine so that I could keep an eye on her. Ever since mom went missing she'd been having nightmares. There was a small river at the back of the property that apparently ran up towards the north. Somewhere it connected to a larger part of the bayou, near some place called Honey Island Swamp. It's protected land that helps keep wildlife safe. This made me happy though.

You see, I am what some people would call a 'Book Worm'. I love to read anything that looks somewhat good. So you can imagine that when my mom suggested something by the name of _Blackwood Farm_ I was a little iffy. The name alone sounded boring. I found that to be untrue as soon as I read the first chapter. I wasn't that into the vampire thing, since they kind of creeped me out. I mean come on, something that is dead but alive that comes into your house or catches you out late in some back alley and then eats you alive. No thank you. Now that I look back on it though, it's almost a mistake not liking them. I read most of her other novels but _Blackwood Farm_ was still my favorite. I liked the fact that Quinn, the main character, hadn't really come to terms with liking men. And that made me feel like I wasn't so alone. And that's when it clicked, I had also realized that I was a full-blown homosexual, oh yea…should have mentioned that too. Well I had always found drawing exciting; clothes and hair were a big part of my morning. Haha and then there's the fact that no girl has ever, well…in layman's terms, 'gotten it up for me'. So I had gradually told my mother, my aunt and uncle, and any other family that I had. Which really wasn't a lot. But yes, I enjoy reading Ms. Rice's books. At the times they seem to be my only friends. In the book the main character lived in a bayou, so you can imagine that when I heard I would be living near a bayou I thought it was totally cool. Imagine if the jocks at this school found out that not only was I into the most famous author of New Orleans, but that I was also gay. Even if New Orleans is one of the friendliest cities to gays, I don't think that applies to everyone.

As we drove up to the school my Aunt gave me a weary look. Almost as if she had just realized that this was going to be scary for me. I looked out the window towards the school. It wasn't as big as I thought it would be but still, it looked like it could hold roughly 1,000 students. Still not enough to let me slip into the school unnoticed. A heavy sigh escaped my lips as my Aunt stopped the engine and unlocked the doors.

"You ready Andrew?" her light pixie voice questioned me. I simply looked back out the window hoping that this was all just a nightmare and I would soon wake up. But that was a silly wish, this was really happening, and I'd have to deal with it on my own.

"Yea, guess I'm ready. You're still coming into the office with me, right?" She had promised to walk me to the office while they gave me my schedule and then sent me to the doctor's office. Something about giving me a check-up, or needing my health records as soon as possible.

"I'll stay with you as long as you want me to sweetie. But don't you think it would look funny if the new student was walking around with his aunt." She had a point there. "How about I stay with yea until the nurse finishes her exams? Then you'll have to fend for yourself. If anything happens just call me from the office." And with that said we got out of the car.

I adjusted my backpack so that it was fully on my right shoulder. The early morning sun glinted off of my glasses and made me squint just a little. The pathway towards the front doors was only about twenty feet in length, but to me it felt like the entire Yellow Brick road. (AN: Hehe gay humor). I held the door open for my aunt, I think I was trying to stall actually entering the building. It didn't matter though, sooner or later I'd have to go in. It was sooner, my aunt quickly pulled me through the door and into the main office.

It was a nice school, the lights weren't too bright, and the air temperature seemed to be just right. The women in the office smiled at me with their red lips. They all had skin of a beautiful mocha colour. I must have looked somewhat out of place with my pale skin. Because I hadn't been allowed to go on the trip with my mother my skin hadn't had a chance to tan this summer. So instead I was stuck with a somewhat pasty colour. It matched well with my dirty blonde hair, yet contrasted with my green eyes. My mother always told me that my eyes reminded her of the brightest emeralds in all the world. I sighed at the thought of my mother, however it went unnoticed. My aunt was already up at the counter talking with the youngest secretary. I slowly made my way next to her, the contrast of our heights clearly visible. My aunt stood nearly a foot shorter than me at 5'3". I had gotten the height from my dead-beat dad supposedly. The secretary, whose name was Tina, smiled at me as I was handed my schedule. I attempted a smile back, but it faltered. I hadn't been able to truly smile ever since my mom vanished. However, I did throw one on once in a while for Priti's sake.

With the trip to the office done with, we made our way to the nurse's lounge. They checked my eyes, hearing, lungs, and even took a sample of my blood. I'm anemic so they clearly wanted to make sure I was getting enough potassium daily. I'm not much of an eater but I tend to exercise a lot. Running and swimming are some of my favorite things to do. So I'm not necessarily skinny, but I'd say I've got an athletic build. Once the nurse was done she gave me the okay to head to first period. My aunt gave me a half smile and stepped out of the school. I was on my own now, no one was going to be there to hold my hand. With a deep breath I set out. I still had no idea that this was going to be my only week in this school.

Somewhere near an old plantation, two beings, monsters if you will, slept peacefully. One of these creatures dreamt of a young man with hair the colour of sand and eyes as green as summer grass. This creature smiled in his sleep, opening his sky blue eyes he whispered one word.

"Andrew".

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Golly, who could that be at the end? Oh well guess you'll just have to keep reading to find out. Reviews are welcomed.

~Katlyn


	3. From Hell to Heaven

Here's the second chapter all edited and stuff. We meet the second main character in this, and before anybody(if anybody is reading this) asks, no he and Andrew will not end up together. There's still much more drama to come. But don't worry, for all you M rated lovers, that part should be coming soon. Enjoy, oh and a vamp shows up next chapter.

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I managed to get to all of my classes before everyone else. The teachers were nice enough to not make me stand at the front of the room to do the whole, "Hi I'm new here and I'm totally not like anybody else…pick on me please." Haha as if I'd do it anyway. Instead, the teacher simply had me assigned a seat and let the others figure out that I was new. Everything seemed to be working well until third period. English had always been one of my favorite classes, but that changed when the two people I didn't want to see walked into the room. It was two of the jocks from the basketball game. Earlier on I had decided to sit in the back of the classroom but that didn't seem to stop them. They recognized me immediately. The teacher, Ms. Carmen, noticed something was wrong as soon as they started to walk, or more like stomp, over to where I was sitting.

"Look wha we got hea! It's dat loser from the b-ball game last spring. Whatcha doin' hea fag?" His last comment startled me. Did he know I was gay? He was a big guy with dirty looking white skin. His brown hair looked unwashed and his teeth looked like he hadn't been to a dentist in several years. I didn't respond, I simply held eye contact with the bully.

"Hey. When Frank talks to yea yer supposed to respond faggot." This kid wasn't much different from his friend 'Frank'. He was about the same height at roughly six and a half feet. They were both built like linebackers, which was going to be a problem for me if I was cornered in the hallway.

Taking a deep breath I leaned back in my chair. "I moved here with my aunt and uncle. As an American citizen I have the right to live wherever I want. I would appreciate it if you didn't start anything and simply walked away." I hoped that this would sway them to leave me alone.

Frank just smiled, exposing his nasty ass teeth. "Even talks like a fag, huh. Well if you want us tah leave yea alone then why don't yea make us?" My lips tightened into a thin line. I wasn't going to fight anyone on my first day of school, or ever. And the more he kept calling me 'fag' the angrier I got. One of the football players from my school must have chatted with these two if they knew I was gay.

"I will not fight either of you." I made sure to speak clearly and strongly. Determination always managed to change the simple minds of thugs like these. Or that's what I thought.

Before I knew it a fist had curled around the front of my shirt and hauled me out of my seat. I was now face to face with the thug and his disgusting teeth. I could see Ms. Carmen attempting to ignore what was going on. She looked almost as frightened as me, even though I was trying my best to hide my shock and fear. All of a sudden a fist collided with Frank's head. I was quickly dropped on my butt and stared up at a new hand that was held out to me.

"Sorry about him. He's not the smartest tool in the shed, but he sure is a tool. My names Mason, how 'bout you?" The voice definitely matched the body. Not only was this guy nice, he was nice looking. His hair was a shade of black that almost looked dark blue. Mason's eyes were a chocolate brown shade that emitted warmth every time he smiled. I continued to stare at him as I took his hand and stood up.

"umm, oh I'm Andrew, it's nice to meet you. And uh thanks for helping me out." I couldn't help but smile back at him. Movement caught my left eye as I looked towards Frank and his lackey standing up. Frank's face was the colour of a ripe tomato, which triggered a certain fear in me.

"Ain't that cute Nick? Faggots helping each other. I'm not gonna deal wif dis shit, we'll get you two queers later. Come on Nick, we're leaving." And with that Frank left. Ms. Carmen looked relieved, along with everyone else. When I looked back at Mason his smile had fallen and his eyes seemed less warm. Trying to bring that warmth back I smiled at him and gave him a pat on the shoulder. This boy actually made me smile.

Mason and I sat together for the rest of English class, and even at lunch. It turned out that we had the same classes period 3-9. I had learned that Mason came from a well to do family that lived maybe ten minutes from where I live. He had been openly gay for a year but was still a little scared of all the taunting. He also told me that Frank was the biggest bully in the whole school, even the teachers feared him. Apparently he was the son of the football coach, Mr. Seasons. (Which proved my theory of Frank being a linebacker correct.) Figures that the main bully of the school would have the advantage over everyone else. Mason didn't seem to care though, he was more focused on his future.

"I'm gonna take care of a winery in Tuscany some day. It was my mother's dream. She used to tell me stories of Italy and France, she was a fashion designer. But when she passed away two years ago, I realized that I wanted to complete her dream. My dad thinks that it's a far reach, but with the right business classes and a lot of Italian I should be able to make it happen." His smile was somber but his passion was all there. When I heard of his mother's death, I almost cried. There was still a chance that my mother was alive, but Mason…he could never get his mom back.

The last bell rang and we both left the building. My aunt had headed to work and probably wouldn't be back so I was supposed to take the bus home, which was going to be an hour ride. Luckily Mason had a car. Now I'm not the type of person to ask things of people, but when a really cute guy like Mason offers you a ride home you have to say yes. His car was nice, a black Mazda…although, I couldn't tell you what model it was. I'm not a big car fan, Mason was though. He explained every detail of his 'baby'. I simply smiled and listened. On the way home he told me that his father had remarried last summer. Her name was Jessica, and from what Mason said it sounded like she was the nicest person ever.

"I was surprised at first when my dad told me he was going to get married. The grief was still there from when mom died but Jessica seemed to understand that. If anything she's acted more like a sister to me. I've never called her mom but I don't think it bugs her. She has a way of understanding people, she calls it her 'psychic ability'. You see, Jessica is pure Cajun, her grandmother is a big voodoo woman who lives on the outskirts of the city. I've met her once, and I ain't gonna lie, she's kinda creepy. This lady knew everything about me, she even looked scared to see me. Started talking about all this family history and what not. But hey, maybe it was all fer show. Oh we should be at my house in ten minutes, we're comin' up on the old Fowler Plantation. Creepy place dude." He was right. The place looked older than my house, not to mention the fact that the trees had all grown over with Spanish moss(AN: COOLEST PLANT EVER!), which helped to make it look like a haunted house. As we got right in front of it I couldn't help but shiver at the feeling it gave me. Something wasn't right with that place.

My attention was quickly diverted from the 'haunted mansion' to the bright two-story complex entering my view. This was his house? Mason's plantation was maybe triple the size that my aunt and uncle lived on. A pond with swans was even out front. The gardening looked very professional and the house looked brand-new. Mason's cheerful laugh broke me out of my gape. It was so light and airy, a blush even rose to my cheeks. Ah the fickleness of teenage boys, still innocent and unharmed. He parked the car infront of the porch and walked around to open the door for me. What a gentlemen, he even gestured his hand towards the lavish abode as if to say, "_Well here it is_." And upon entering the house I was greeted by a woman who looked to be about thirty. Her smile was pearly white, a beautiful contrast to her dark brown skin. Her eyes were a dark brown colour that reminded me of the black coffee my mother would drink while writing her thesis papers. This was Jessica, and even being gay I knew she was a looker.

"Well hello Mason, who is this fine young man you've brought home?" Her voice held the distinct sound of a heavy New Orleans accent, yet she talked with an elegance I couldn't quite place.

"This is Andrew, he just moved here from…Mississippi was it? Yea, he lives down the street a couple miles. I think we're going to be good friends." Mason smiled at me gripping my shoulder.

"Hello Mrs. Raimond, it's a pleasure to meet yea. Your house is beautiful, I'm happy that Mason has invited me over." I smiled and held out my hand to her.

With a gentle yet firm grip, Jessica smiled back warmly at me. "Oh darlin' just call me Jessica. I'm sure happy that Mase brought yea 'ere. Please come in and relax." Her voice was light and kind, she reminded me of my own mother.

Over the next several hours I was given a tour of the house and grounds. It was a beautiful home, furnished to the extent, yet it still held some form of simple grace. Soon after the tour Mase lead me to his room and we proceeded to talk about books, movies, and life in general. It turned out that we shared many of the same interests. We both enjoyed all genre of movies, and our taste in books was similar as well. Historical fictions and Manga seemed to be the only books either of us read. I ate dinner at their house, a wonderful pasta salad with fried chicken dumplings. But the night soon became very dark and Mr. Raimond said it was time for me to leave. He walked me to the door along with Mason and I bid them all good night. My aunt had come to pick me up, and as I walked out the door I felt a sudden chill run down my back. Unusual seeing as the temperature outside must have been around 85 degrees. I smiled as I sat in the passenger's seat, knowing that this place was going to turn out well, or so I hoped.

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Thanking Jasper(short) fer the fav. Rising action next chapter.

Reviews please, KTHX Bi~Katlyn


	4. Demons and Saviors

Yay I finally uploaded this chapter. Sorry that everything is so late. School has been a major focus for me because the year is almost over. This chapter should be really good because we're almost to the big moments. I think some of my facts and wordings in here are alittle weird so just bear with me.

Okay now go on enjoy.

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By the time Thursday came Mason and I had built a strong foundation to a wonderful friendship. I had made plans to stay over at his house Friday night, with the happy permission of his parents of course. Mr. and Mrs. Raimond were grateful that I had befriended Mason. They had even gone as far as to set up my own personal room in their lavish house. Clearly Mason hadn't had any good friends in quite some time. I didn't care though. I was happy to be accepted by a loving group of people. My aunt and uncle were happy that I had become friends with someone as kind as Mason. And that wasn't all; they were overjoyed that I could relate to Mason in more ways than one. Priti was a little upset that I wouldn't be home tonight, but my aunt said she would take care of her.

I came down the stairs with my night-bag packed just as Mason pulled into the driveway. My uncle opened the door and invited my friend in with a smile. Turning away from the both of them I wandered into the kitchen to say good bye to Priti. She gave me a big hug and told me to stay up as late as I could. Haha kids are the cutest aren't they? I can remember when my mom and I first met her in India. Her mother couldn't take care of Priti or her six other siblings. This broke my mother's heart and she quickly agreed to bring Priti back with us to America. The paper work took longer than we would have liked but by the time I turned eleven I had a brand new baby sister. Priti still remembers her real mom; she even looks like her, what with her beautiful dark brown skin and hair the colour of black water. She had grown quite a lot since we had first adopted her. Priti now stood at almost 4'3", and that's pretty tall for a 6 year old. I gave her a quick kiss on the head and grabbed my phone off of the counter.

"What's takin' so long Drew? I'd like to get to the house before sundown." Mason was being sarcastic, and in turn I laughed.

"Alright alright, here I come," I picked up my pillow and headed out the door with Mason. "I'll call before I go to sleep Uncle. Make sure Priti gets to sleep on time." And with a wave I was out the door.

The drive was quiet, save for the sound of 'Blood on the Dance Floor'. Not my favorite Michael Jackson song, but I could put up with it. Mason seemed on edge as we passed by the old Fowler plantation. Turning down the music, I cleared my throat and looked over at him.

"Hey Mase, you okay buddy? If it's something I did 'm sorry." I wasn't sure if I had upset him or if he was just tired. As we pulled into Mason's driveway he shut off his engine, pulled his keys out, and just sat there.

"I'm fine Drew, it's nothing you did, yer a chill guy (AN: Chill is my word. I use it for EVERYTHING. Haha bad habit I guess). It's my family, they've been kind of weird lately, and believe you me, they're always weird. This is just different. But in the past week, every time we drive by Fowler plantation, I feel funny. I guess it's just the fact that everyone tells all those lame stories about the place but, Drew it feels like something bad is going to happen. That's the reason I wanted you to stay over this weekend. I feel safe around you." Mason let his head fall against the steering wheel and heaved a heavy sigh. I kind of knew what he meant by the 'bad feeling'. The first night I had been to his house, I felt…scared. Not of him, or his family, but the old plantation. Just the thought of it made me skin cold.

I decided to suck it up and be a man. Gently putting my hand on Mason's head I laughed. He looked up at me as if I were crazy. "Dude, nothing bad is going to happen if we stick together. Haven't you seen any scary movies before? As long as we're together nothing can hurt us. Haha, now why don't you say we head into the safe, comfy house?" Picking up my bag, I unlocked my door and hoped out. Mason soon followed looking happier. Walking up the steps a sudden chill passed down my back, was someone watching us? I turned around to see if anyone might be there, but no one could be seen. I didn't dwell on what had happened, thinking I had simply scared myself. Mason was already in the house when I walked through the front door.

Taking off my shoes, I followed him into the large family room. Jessica and his father were sitting on the couch watching an old taping of, wait for it, Stargate. I smiled as I followed Mase's lead and sat down. I loved this show. (AN: Honestly it is such an enjoyable show. I thought that they ended it very well. The original series is better than Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe. GO WATCH IT). Sadly, it was only the last fifteen minutes of the episode, it was season two otherwise known as Daniel's 'bad haircut' season. The episode ended quickly and Mr. Raimond smiled in my direction.

"Well hello there Andrew, I don't believe I saw you come in. I'm happy that yer with us tonight. You'll have to thank your Aunt and Uncle for me." Mr. Raimond had a deep southern voice; he also had somewhat of a deep belly too.

"I'm happy to be 'ere. We got in about twenty minutes ago so it's no bad. Haha I was actually enjoying the show." It was hard NOT to be friendly to this man. Just by looking at his graying hair, dimpled face, and kind smile, one would instantly realize he was pure of heart.

Jessica had left for the kitchen sometime during the end of the show and was just now returning to the family room. "Okay dinners almost ready boys; my Grandmother is already in the kitchen Mason so why don't you go introduce Drew? How does stir fry sound tonight Drew?" Stir fry? I love Stir fry, I really could get used to this place.

After I told Jessica that diner sounded lovely Mason lead me into the large kitchen. Just as I walked through the door I felt yet another chill hit me. Mase seemed to shiver too, but I just assumed that the air conditioning was too high. Sitting at the counter was a very fragile looking old woman. I could clearly tell that she was Jessica's Grandmother because of her skin tone. Now, just to let all of you northerners know, Cajun people can have light and dark skin. So technically there are two groups of Cajuns. African-American Cajuns and plain old white Cajuns. Jessica and her family are the first type of Cajuns mentioned. Mason seemed to hesitate as he moved closer to his step-great grandmother. Before he could get to her, she had already turned around.

"A young de' L'Enfant, and one a true heritage. Oh boy, 'dis is not goo' sight tah see. And in a house of dah Raimonds, what could be goin' down taday?" I didn't know what to say. I mean what the hell? This little woman, who I could now tell was blind, was looking right at me; scratch that, right through my soul. She had seemed scared of what she was saying, but appeared to be amazed at the same time. I had never met her before, and I don't remember telling Mason's parents what my last name was. It just never came up during conversation. First names were always easy, but my mother's name had been in the local paper when old neighbors heard of her disappearance. Worrying the Raimonds was not something I wanted; it was bad enough that I had told them my mother was dead. I glanced over at Mason and realized he had been looking at me the whole time.

"H-have you two meet before?" His stutter told me right away that he was as shocked as I was. Come on, what was I supposed to say, 'Nah I've never met the old creeper in my life, I'm leaving'. I'm not mean.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but I don't think we've met before, I didn't mean to startle yea. How did you know my last name was de' L'Enfant?" I hoped she would give me a quick explanation. And she was about to when Mason's parents walked in. Jessica seemed to realize something was wrong before Mr. Raimond did.

"Gamma Lynn, don't you be scarin' these boys. What's goin' on in hea?" She looked from 'Gamma Lynn' to Mason, and lastly to me.

Mason finally spoke, well it was more of a whisper but I'm pretty sure that everyone could hear him, aside from 'Gamma Lynn'. "It's nothing Jess, Anna Lynn's just being weird and freaking out over nothing. She was only harassing Drew 'bout his last name."

"Mason, hush your mouth. Do not talk about your great grandmother that way; I don't care if she isn't related to you. Now Gamma, what's got yea so worked up over our sweet Andrew? I didn't even know you two knew each other." The way she yelled at Mason seemed like she was truly his mother. Although it didn't look like Mason was happy about it seeing as there was a cute pout forming on his face.

"Child, did you know you was lettin' a de' L'Enfant into your home? Now dat he's hea dat old story's gonna repeat itself." The old woman just wouldn't stop. I mean, what old stories were there of my family, and Mason's? Why was it so bad that I was in their home? Now I don't know about you folks but this was starting to make me angry. Folding my arms across my chest I looked at Jessica, this was her great grandmother; couldn't she send her to bed or somethin'? Jess was looking right back at me, a look of confusion on her soft face.

"Your full name is Andrew de' L'Enfant? Are you Dominique de' L'Enfant's son?" It seemed like all of a sudden Jess and Mr. Raimond were trying to corner me. Mason's father was standing beside his new wife looking at me as if he were seeing a ghost.

"Yes Dominique was my mom, but her last name was Ashford, she told me that de' L'Enfant was her mother's name. What's going on here?" I was really freaking out, what the hell didn't I know about my family? I think I stood in the kitchen waiting for an answer for a good fifteen minutes. Finally Jessica pulled out a chair and told me to 'plant it'. I did as I was told, not wanting to anger this family any further. Mason glared at his father and step mother. Clearly he didn't want anything to do with what I was about to hear.

"Andrew, you must understand that we don't hate you. In fact the de' L'Enfants and the Raimonds have been friends for a very long time. Since the founding of New Orleans your families have been allies in something, bigger. Although most of us think it as a myth, there's no denying events that have previously happened between the two families." Jess glanced over towards Anna Lynn. "The Raimonds are one of the only Italian families in New Orleans. I married into them by choice because as a member of the Ponce family I thought it right too. I knew your mother Andrew. I grew up with her. I can tell you right now that de' L'Enfant was your mothers last name. Don't ask me where she got 'Ashford' from cause I don' know. About nineteen years ago your mother left with your father on a trip to Europe. She was about to graduate college when she sent me word of her pregnancy. I told her I didn' trust that man she was with, and what do yea know, he walks out on her and her baby after three years." Well, I was stunned; Jessica clearly knew my mother, and everything about my early life.

"The reason your mom never came back to New Orleans was you. There's a secret to your family Andrew and I think, as your mother's best friend, it's my duty to tell you what you need to know." I didn't know I was holding my breath until she was done talking. "Way back before the second heads of both your families came to America, there was a deal made. This deal was made with a demon, or so I'm told. There would come a time when the demon and his children would need to take, slaves if you will. This demon specifically said that this would happen around the new millennia. The Raimonds and the de' L'Enfants sent their next in line to America. They couldn't risk the demon getting to them. But demons are tricky, and they followed the families." I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Standing up angrily I glared at Mason's parents. "You expect me to believe this?! Ancient deals with demons is the reason that my mother is missing?" I started to hyperventilate at the mere thought of them degrading my mother's disappearance. Mr. Raimond cleared his throat.

"It's all true Andrew. The deal was made and there are demons among us. I'm willing to bet half of my money that that is the truth behind your mother's vanishing." He seemed almost sad as he turned to Mason. "Mase, it's all true. Every warning I've ever given you, every time I told you that sleepovers at friends weren't something this family does, it all has reasoning behind it." Mason paled almost immediately, as if he had just seen a ghost. I couldn't stand to see him like that. I turned my head away from the awkwardness and looked out the window. My whole body froze. _Was someone just standing there? What the hell is happening to me?_ My thoughts were filled with questions of my sanity and the sanity of the people around me.

"I need some air." And with that I walked out of the kitchen and found my way to the back porch. I needed to get out of that house faster than a seal swimming away from a great white. As I finally sat down on the porch steps I reached for my inhaler. It was situated safely in my hoddie's pocket. The puffs dampened the sound of footsteps behind me. So you can imagine my surprise when Mason began to talk.

"I'm really sorry about that Drew. It's the first time I've heard any of this in detail." Mase sighed and set his head on my shoulder. "Drew, I'm scared. What if these…demons really are after us? How are we supposed to deal with this?" he was shaking, and I did the only thing that felt right. I pulled Mason into a hug.

"We'll beat this. I promise you, no demons will ever hurt us." With that said we sat on the porch for a good fifteen minutes. But it was fifteen minutes of complete silence. There were no bugs or animals making noise, and the breeze was barely there. It made me feel a little too uneasy. "Hey Mase? It's really quiet out here. 'Kinda don't want to be out here." I adjusted my glasses and helped Mase up.

I turned to walk up the second step, thinking Mase was following right behind me. "Yea maybe we should head ins-"Silence, Mase's voice seemed to cut off immediately. Then, almost suddenly, the sounds of twigs breaking and loud rustling were behind me. I turned quickly and was greeted by the sight of three very tall guys. Tall guys with glowing eyes! A muffled scream came from my right and I turned to look at another man. He had Mase held against a tree as he shoved fist after fist into his stomach. I had no idea what to do, call for help, try and make a run for Mase and the guy beating him up? It was as if I was frozen. Then the men in front of me advanced. The one closest to me opened his mouth in a sneer. I gasped at what I saw. Rows of sharp teeth lined the inside of his mouth. And slowly, one by one, the others began to bare their own sets of similar teeth. That's when I screamed. _This can't be happening. I learn about freaking demons not even half an hour ago and these freaks suddenly show up?_ My thoughts quickly disappeared as I heard Mason cry out. That's when five years of karate flashed through my head. Making a mad dash towards Mason I attempted to pull the demon, well I assumed it was a demon, off of him. Cackles chimed behind me as the others watched me try to fight with the demon who still stood in front of Mase.

Arms encircled my shoulders and I was pulled away from the creature that I had been attacking. Mason was hit with a final sharp jab to his abdomen possibly breaking a rib. I assumed so due to the blood he began to cough up. The demon's hold on me tightened as I was dragged further away from Mase. Kicking backwards I attempted to lose the bastard holding me, but this only served to anger them more. The demon let go of Mason and advanced in my direction. Mason slid down to the base of the tree and tried to reach out a hand to me, but a string of coughs prohibited him from doing anything. We're not going to die like this. We can't. Where the hell are Mase's parents?! And suddenly I was face to face with the demon that had been attacking Mase. The creature's eyes were nothing but black pools, its skin was a sickly white, and it reeked of filth. I soon realized that the smell of filth was all around me.

"The Boss ordered us to find the _Signora(1)_ and bring it back. But he never said anything about there being two. _Come __avventurato(2)_!" The demon spoke with an accent I barely recognized. The words were Italian, that I was sure of, but I had no idea what they meant. "I've already taken care of your little friend over there, but don't you think it's unfair if you aren't given the same treatment?" The sickening smile returned and I gladly turned my face away from the sight. This action pissed the demon off, and I was dealt a hard blow to my left side. The pain was crazy. I had been punched before but the feeling was never this powerful. The attack that followed was relentless. Kicks to my legs, punches and jabs to my abdomen and sides, but my face was never harmed. I could just barely keep my eyes open, allowing me to watch as the hand came forward to grip my jacket and shirt. The demon threw me to the ground and with a disgusting crack my head hit a rock that was protruding from the ground. Things became even blurrier. Sounds were distorted and the voices all mingled into one. But a voice I knew cried out to me.

"Andrew you've got to hold on! Please stay awake for me!" Mason's voice was shaking with the force of an earthquake. As much as I wanted to tell him that I was trying my body wouldn't let me. But that didn't matter, because the demons were suddenly in a panic. A new voice had arrived. A voice that didn't sound Italian or Southern for that matter.

"Oi! What's going on 'ere chaps? It's not nice to hurt those weaker than yourselves. Especially people that don't and will never belong to yea." The English accent was calm and almost comforting. I didn't know what to think. But before I could hear a response from the demons a loud snap was heard, followed by a haunting cry. I could tell that a fight had broken out, but who was winning was out of the question. A final curse was yelled as the sound of something like a neck snapped. The thought of the demons winning sent a chill down my spine. Would they finish us off instead of taking us to their boss? Are we ever going to see our families again? A quiet groan escaped my mouth as I tried to turn in the direction that Mason's voice had come from. My breathing was labored, no doubt due to the harsh blows my lungs had received. I felt my asthma pick up at the thought of a rib rupturing one of my lungs, or even Mason's. Then I heard the footsteps getting closer to me and I tried to open my eyes. A second pair of steps soon followed, this time more like a dragging instead of a step. I was sure that the demons had won and that my friend and I were done for.

"Mae-Mason." Anything more than one word brought a sharp pain to my chest. But Mason's name was the only name I could think of. Unconsciousness was slowly creeping over me. I knew it wouldn't be long until I was completely out. Suddenly, a hand rested on my shoulder, there was no way that I had any strength to shake the hand off. But this hand felt gentle, a friendly hand. And then relief washed over me.

"Andrew, Andrew, come on stay awake, keep breathing. Y-your go-gonna be okay." His voice sounded very quiet towards the end. But then another hand settled itself on my forehead. This hand was much colder than Mason's.

"You'll be fine Andrew, now rest up darling." The English accent seemed to lull me to sleep, and before I knew it, I had done just that.

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Okay, not exactlly sure why the last part is in bold, kinda annoyin. But there it is, oh and the 'person' at the end...you'll learn more about him next chapter. YAY

(1)= Wife in Italian, yea don't ask...haha. You'll find out soon.

(2)= How Lucky in Italian. Kinda reminded me of the Bleach episodes where Ikkaku is fighting the numero who kept saying "Que Suerte" lol.

So there it is. Reviews please, and any thing I might have done wrong please tell me.

KTHX Bi~Katlyn


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